X-braced tennis racket

ABSTRACT

A game racket including a frame, a handle having an axis and a ball contact surface. The contact surface including at least two pluralities of interlaced strings or portions supported by the frame with said pluralities of portions extending along linear paths in a first and a second direction and anchored to opposing marginal portions of the frame, with at least portions disposed in a predetermined direction, with the angle of said direction with the handle axis being larger than zero degrees and less than ninety degrees.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to game rackets for playing tennis,squash, badminton, racquetball, or other racket games, and moreparticularly to the stringing of such game rackets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional game rackets of the type commercially available, such asthose used in the games of tennis, squash, badminton and racquetball,typically have their playing surfaces formed by longitudinal and lateralstrings interwoven, tensioned stringing lying in a single median orcentral plane of the head frame of the racket, and spanning the centralopening bounded by the head frame. The frame of common rackets iselliptical in shape. The mesh is composed of a first group of generallyparallel longitudinal string portions and a second group of generallyparallel string portions extending generally perpendicular to, and interwoven with the string portions of the first group. The first stringportions (hereinafter referred to as the “longitudinal portions”) in onegroup usually extend generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of thehandle or shaft of the racket, with second string portions (hereinafterreferred to as “lateral portions”) in the group extending generallytransverse to that axis. Due to elliptic shape of the frame, the lateralportions are shorter and thereby they are less yielding thanlongitudinal portions. The flexibility of longitudinal portions areneutralized by stiffness of lateral portions. A further problem is thatdue to string length variations, the elastic strength of strikingsurface is not homogeneous. There are so called “sweet spots” which showmore elasticity and there are stiff spots.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A game racket suitable for propelling a game ball, the racket includinga frame and a ball contact surface including a plurality of stringssupported by the frame. The plurality of strings are anchored toopposing marginal portions of the frame along a linear path in a generalfirst direction and interlaced with a plurality of linear stringsdisposed in a general second direction and anchored to opposing marginalportions of the frame. The directions chosen for the first and secondportions are such that variation in unsupported lengths of the stringsare minimized. The result is a more elastically uniform striking surfacecomparatively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention with a pattern fordisposing of a plurality of strings interlaced to form the strikingsurface in a game racket.

FIG. 2 shows the side view of subject racket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention provides an improved design of tennis rackets. However,other sporting rackets in general, and squash rackets in particular, areadditional beneficiaries. The patterns of interlaced main portionsdisclosed provide a more uniform and more elastic ball contact surfacecompared with known rackets.

FIG. 1 shows stringing, in accordance with the invention. Racket 10includes handle 12, frame 14 and ball contact surface 16, Contactsurface 16 includes a plurality of interlaced portions 18 and 20 formedof a filament material such as, for example, natural gut or syntheticfibers known in the art. Each portion 18 is anchored at points 22 aboutthe periphery 24 of frame 14 and each portion 20 is anchored at points26 about periphery 24 of frame 14. Interlaced portions 18 and 20 extendalong linear paths.

In contrast with common rackets, the pattern of portions claimedincreases the unsupported lengths of lateral portions and thereby theclaimed stringing method will provide a more elastic surface.

Other advantages of design claimed include:

more uniform striking surface due to more uniform lengths of interlacedportions;

more projection power due to greater elasticity of the striking surfaceand trampoline effect;

more ball control since the greater elasticity of the contact surfaceserves to envelop a larger portion of the ball upon striking in favor ofbetter ball control; less stress in the arm due to flexibility ofstriking surface and less vibration in the racket;

lateral portion failures are generally the cause for string failures dueto lower yield and stiffness compared with longitudinal portion. Moreuniform string lengths prolong the string life expectancy.

While the embodiments shows in FIG. 1 describe the two portions to begenerally disposed in two symmetric directions, it is understood thatthe two portions can be disposed generally in two different directions.

While the preferred embodiments describe the portions as being formed ofone continuous filament, it is understood that the portions can beformed of a plurality of pieces, the ends of each piece being separatelyanchored to the periphery of the racket frame.

While the invention is described as a single-strung racket, it isunderstood that the invention also can be applied to a double-strungracket as well.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and combinations ofdifferent designs and changes can readily occur to those skilled in theart, it is not designed to limit the invention to the exact constructionand operation shown and described; and accordingly, all suitablemodifications and equivalents that may be resorted to, should beconsidered falling within the scope of the invention.

1. A game racket comprising a frame, a handle having an axis and a ballcontact surface wherein said contact surface includes a plurality ofinterlaced linear portions supported by said frame, with at least one ofsaid plurality of portions being disposed in a generally predetermineddirection, with said direction being at an angle with the axis of thehandle with said angle being larger than zero degrees and less thanninety degrees, wherein the interlacing of said portions includesstrings intermittently crossing over and under each other at theirintersections.
 2. A game racket in accordance with claim 1 wherein atleast two pluralities of interlaced portions are disposed at generallysymmetric directions relative to the axis of the handle.
 3. (canceled)